Senators’ Craig Anderson posts shutout after wife’s cancer diagnosis

Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson posted a shutout in his first game after his wife's cancer diagnosis.

Anderson went on personal leave last week from the team as his wife, Nicholle, learned she had cancer but she later urged him to rejoin the team for their road game against the Edmonton Oilers.

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Anderson had 37 saves in the 2–0 victory, his second shutout of the season and 35th of his career. He has not given up a goal in his last 121 minutes of ice time. Edmonton came into the matchup as one of the NHL's highest scoring teams.

“I think you couldn't really feel it, the gravity that it was, until the final whistle when the game was over,” Senators captain Erik Karlsson said. “We accomplished a great game led by [Anderson]. He came here [Saturday] and we all knew about it, and obviously, he held a strong face, but you could still see the pain in his eyes. He came in and really led by example, he didn't say much, he did the same thing, the same routine and he showed what a true leader was.”

Anderson made 22 saves in a 3-0 shutout win at the Vancouver Canucks last Tuesday and is 5-1-0 on the season.

“It's a pretty emotional night with everything that's been going on with this group,” left winger Mike Hoffman, who scored one of the game's two goals, said. “Coming in here and facing one of the best teams in the League at the moment was a big task for us. Everyone in here was ready to take them on and we played a solid game, and obviously, [Anderson] coming back and helping this team out is a pretty cool story.”